The invention relates to a communication bus system comprising a pair of conductors for carrying differential bus signals. The system comprises a first and second station connected by the pair of conductors. The system is operable in a selectable one of at least a low speed mode and a high-speed mode. The first and second stations communicate via the pair of conductors to control switching between the high-speed mode and the low speed mode. This may be realized for example using the USB protocol in the slow speed mode when the conductors are part of a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection.
The first station contains driver circuitry for driving electrical signals on the pair of conductors. The second station contains receiver circuitry for receiving the signals. The second station also contains an impedance circuit and an impedance connection circuit between the pair of conductors and the impedance circuit. The impedance connection circuit connects the impedance circuit to the pair of conductors in the high-speed mode and the low speed mode respectively.
In the high speed mode the impedance circuit provides a impedance to the pair of conductors that substantially matches the transmission line impedance of the pair of conductors. Preferably, the pair of conductors runs surrounded by electrical shielding. In that case, the transmission line impedance comprises mainly impedance components between the shielding and each of the conductors of the pair. In this case, the impedance circuit provides two impedances between respective ones of the conductors of the pair and a common point that is AC coupled to the shielding.
The impedance circuit ensures that there are substantially no transmission line reflections back from the second station in the high-speed mode. This makes it possible to uses the system with very high signal frequency components in the high-speed mode. On the other hand, no (low) impedance is connected to the conductors in the low speed mode, thus saving power consumption and ensuring compatibility a specification of the low speed mode.
In order to enable the receiving circuit to operate properly the common point is preferably kept at a bias potential which differs from the reference potential of the receiving circuit, which is normally the potential of the shielding. Additionally, the bias potential can be used to observe that the second station is actually operating in the high-speed mode, so that the first station can switch to that mode and back to the slow speed mode.
A bias voltage source is provided between the common point and the shielding for this purpose. Use of one bias source to determine the bias voltage for both conductors of the pair via the common point ensures bias voltage symmetry between the conductors. This makes signal reception more reliable.
Preferably, the second station contains a third switch connected between a first and second point, the first point lying between the first resistor and the first switch, the second point lying between the second resistor and the second switch. The second station controls the third switch just like the first and second switch, so that the third switch is made conductive in the high-speed mode and non-conductive in the low speed mode.